Customer Reviews

Amos Fortune Free Man

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved this book! I had seen it listed many times as a "must read" book, and I finally took time this summer to curl up with it. The story is a historical biography about Amos Fortune, who was born the son of an African king, captured when he was fifteen and brought to America, and sold at an auction. It is the story of a man who held the vision of freedom in his heart during his years of slavery, but who saved his money until he was able to purchase his freedom when he was sixty years old. I appreciated seeing the author bring out the human side of slave owners... how they were not all cruel... how some educated their slaves and taught them skills to live by. I also appreciated the author's description of how the slave traders were aided by Africans themselves in the capture of humans for trade... we so often think it was only the white men who were responsible for this vile trade. To read about Amos Fortune is to get an insight into a caring, self-sacrificing, honourable pioneer in the New World. I highly recommend this well-researched and well-written book. I can see why it was a Newberry Award winner.

This book is required reading for American Academy Middle School students, 6th grade, but is recommended for people, ages 12 and up, trying to understand early American life and the subject of slavery, particularly in the northern states.
Amos Fortune is a true story about a young African prince torn from his family, people, and homeland. He undergoes a process of dehumanization, including a horrific slave-ship sea crossing before being sold as a slave into first one and then another Massachusetts family, so we see two complete portraits of slave life. Finally, he buys his own and his wife's freedom and travels to picturesque New Hampshire where he builds a homestead and legacy for himself, and perhaps plants seeds that help bring an end to that "peculiar institution."
Beautifully told by Ms. Yates, we see Amos learn to read and become a faithful Christian. His childlike dream to buy his sister's freedom grows into a mature buying of the freedom of women he loves. He masters the tanning trade, which we learn about. We experience his strong and majestic character in overlooking a benighted age's slights and building his own freehold homestead, near "his" mountain, in this free country he loves. Amos Fortune is an outstanding man worthy of imitation. His story will never die or grow old.
All American young people should read this book. It, along with: April Morning, by Howard Fast; A Light in the Forest, by Conrad Richter; First Lady of Faith and Courage: Abigail Adams, by Evelyn Witter; and The Autobiography, by Benjamin Franklin; paint a multifaceted view of the particular pains, prejudices and daily life in northern colonial America from the perspective of, respectively, black citizens, traditional revolutionary families, American Indians, women, and a particular famous artisan-scientist-inventor-statesman whose life spanned and intertwined itself with the century of America's birth.

Amos Fortune,named At-mun at first, is prince of the At-mun-shi people in Africa. Right before the time of the planting of corn, At-mun and others in his tribe are captured and taken to America as slaves. Amos, now living in Massachusetts, learns to live among white men and eventually gains his freedom. While in Massachusetts, Amos looks at the port for his little sister, Ath-mun. She was left behind in Africa when Amos was taken, but Amos searched to see if she had been brought to America since then, and maybe would come off of a ship at the port some time. Because of Amos' wanting Ath-mun to be cared for, he dedicated himself to helpless people. He helped many people in his lifetime.
Amos' last name, Fortune, was given to him by other slaves who saw how fortunate he was. Both of his masters were good to him. He was taught a good trade as a tanner and became very good at it. He was able to earn freedom for himself and his family.
This story is very good, but it isn't as adventurous as I like books to be. I don't think it really hooked me as much as I wish it would have. I think a lot of people will really like this book; it just isn't MY idea of a great book.

This book is about a young African prince who is captured and brought to America and sold as a slave. Amos is somewhat fortunate because his new "family" teaches him to read and speak the English language. Elizabeth Yates takes you through Amos's fortunes and misfortunes. You will not want to put this book down.

This book captures the life of an African prince named At-Mun. At the beggining of the book his father gets killed and his tribe gets enslaved. The slave-ship sails of without his cripple sister whose only twelve years old.
During his time in slavery At-Mun he physically treated badly. He is sold twice, once right before he was to be freed. Every chance he gets he tries to find his sister.
Upon his eventual emancipation, he buys a slave to free and marry her. Then he sets up his own tannery and starts a family.
Overall, this non-fiction about slavery and separation evokes satisfaction. But does he find his sister? Read and find out!

The thing I like best about this book is Amos goes through life without losing hope, never complaining. A very uplifting book and a good lesson for those who find themselves blaming society instead of making their own path.

Why would you pay a lot of money for a slave that you would later release? That is the question I would ask slave owners that lived in the 1700's. Well, if you could believe it, that's what happened to Amos. He received his name from his first owners, the Copelands. When they purchased him in Boston, they had promised him freedom. He worked for many years making clothing for the family to sell. After Mr. Copeland's death, the family was forced to sell Amos to Ichabod Richardson where he made shoes until he bought freedom for himself. Later, he bought Lily, a slave woman he liked. She died free but never married Amos. He later opened a shop in the nearby town of Woburn. There he spotted the slaves Lydia and her daughter. After purchasing them, the three moved to Jaffrey where he opened a shop.

I think that this book was mediocre. It lacked action and took a while for anything to happen. For example, Amos had two owners we had to learn about before he was released. To me, nothing exciting really happened that was significant. I would recommend this book to fast readers because they would get through it faster and it would seem like more would happen than would happen to a slower reader. I think that a person interested in the history of slavery would like this book.

Amos Fortune Free Man by Elisabeth Yates is a very meaningful book, taking the reader on a journy though a slaves life. Though freadom,love,deth and peace it is a wonderful book . Amose Fortune is a very giving ,loving charactor,who always thinks of himself before others, creating a very touching charactor. One of my favorite moments is when the dauter of his master is reading to him and he hears he could be king. That gives him the courge to be part of this new world. If you like historical fiction or books that can move you to tears Amos Fortune Free Man is right for you.

Amos Fortune-Free Man is an inspiring semi-true story of a young african prince named At-mun, who at age 15 is captured from his african village, and crosses through the brutal middle passage. In Boston he is sold to a quaker man named Caleb Copeland, who names him Amos. He learns to read, write, and learns to weave and tan. His freinds nickname him Amos Fortune. Indeed he is more fortunate than many slaves of the day. Instead of doing the backbreaking field labor, he would have done had he been sold to a southern plantation, he finds himself doing more managable work, in the New England states.
In addition his masters are more kind than most. At around the age of sixty he bought his own freedom, and eventually the freedom of 3 others. In 1779 he moved to the New Hampshire town of Jaffrey, where he established himself as a sucsessful tanner, and died peacefully at the age of 91. I first read this book 3 years ago, and it is among my favorites. I think it should be required reading for every school (and thats saying alot coming from me). Amos Fortune/At-Mun was a truely amazing man, who tried to sucseed and adapt in american/american colonial society, while never forgetting his african heritage. Some of the words and events may be diffucult for unskilled readers,but in all I think it is one of the best books of all time.

Amos Fortune-Free Man is an inspiring semi-true story of a young african prince named At-mun, who at age 15 is captured from his african village, and crosses through the brutal middle passage. In Boston he is sold to a quaker man named Caleb Copeland, who names him Amos. He learns to read, write, and learns to weave and tan. His freinds nickname him Amos Fortune. Indeed he is more fortunate than many slaves of the day. Instead of doing the backbreaking field labor, he would have done had he been sold to a southern plantation, he finds himself doing more managable work, in the New England states.
In addition his masters are more kind than most. At around the age of sixty he bought his own freedom, and eventually the freedom of 3 others. In 1779 he moved to the New Hampshire town of Jaffrey, where he established himself as a sucsessful tanner, and died peacefully at the age of 91. I first read this book 3 years ago, and it is among my favorites. I think it should be required reading for every school (and thats saying alot coming from me). Amos Fortune/At-Mun was a truely amazing man, who tried to sucseed and adapt in american/american colonial society, while never forgetting his african heritage. Some of the words and events may be diffucult for unskilled readers,but in all I think it is one of the best books of all time.